Abstract

Cytokine response to vasoclusive crisis were investigated among Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) patients in Enugu metropolis, South East Nigeria. A total of 150 subjects comprising 75 confirmed SCA patients (35 males and 40 females) aged between 16 and 30 years from the sickle cell clinic and 75 apparently healthy age and gender-matched controls participated in the study. Sample size was calculated using simple proportion method. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Research and Ethical Committee of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital, Enugu State, Nigeria. Informed consent was obtained from subjects. Blood sample (5.0ml) was collected from each subject, centrifuged, separated and aliquoted into plain bottles for determination of pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and hemopoietic cytokines by Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay. Results were analyzed by statistical package for social sciences using One Way Analysis of Variance at p < 0.05 significant level and presented as mean and standard deviations from the mean. Anti-inflammatory cytokines revealed significant decrease (p < 0.05) in IL-1 during crisis (5.6+0.82 pg/ml) and during steady state (6.2+0.44pg/ml) and in IL-10 during crisis (3.92+0.78pg/ml) and during steady-state (4.75+0.39pg/ml) compared to controls IL-1 (3.5+0.53pg/ml) and IL-10 (8.5+0.45pg/ml). Pro-inflammatory cytokines revealed significant increase (p < 0.05) in TNF-α during crisis (15.17+0.91pg/ml) and during steady-state (11.63+0.45pg/ml), in IL-3 during crisis (20.92+8.92pg/ml) and during steady-state (15.70+3.61pg/ml) while haemopoietic cytokines revealed non-significant increase in (p > 0.05) in EPO during crisis (15.32+6.85iμ/l) and during stead-state (13.05+3.60iμ/l) and in lL-6 during crisis (13.2+0.5pg/ml) and during steady-state (11.87+ 0.91pg/ml) compared to control (10.63+0.45pg/ml). This finding provides scientific data for cytokine derangement in sickle cell anemia, Enugu.